Nigerian bags African women in supply chain award

She was reputed for her extra ordinary passion and drive for results, relentlessly working for the advancement of Pharmaceutical services in the Public Health sector at both Federal and State levels.

Pharmacist Gloria Chukwumah, who is the Director Food and Drug Services, Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria, had pioneered the establishment of the procurement and supply management department in the National Malaria Elimination Programme in 2007.

She also founded the National Coordinator of the National Product Supply Chain Management Programme (NPSCMP) with the mandate to coordinate all activities related to the supply management of public health activities and other health products.

Chukwumah was also the first National Coordinator of the Nigeria Supply Chain Integration Project (NSCIP), the first largest global project to integrate parallel PSM programmes to improve effectiveness and value for money.

As the current Director of Food and Drug Services, Chukwumah with her doggedness and exemplary leadership style, pushed the frontiers of Pharmaceutical Services beyond the usual boundaries while attracting a host of foreign Donors and Partners to support Nigeria and for the first time also, the Department of Food and Drug Services developed two milestone policies ; National Quality Assurance Policy and the National Supply Chain Policy both of which have been approved by the National Council on Health.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, congratulated the awardee, describing her as an outstanding person, a go-getter, formidable manager, very aggressive and unrelenting in her efforts to achieve her target.

He said her leadership style has led to the improvement in the supply chain management in Nigeria.

Mrs. Pamela Steele, the Chief Executive Officer of Pamela Steele Associates United Kingdom who presented the award to her in Abuja, said Pharmacist Gloria Chukwumah was penciled down for the award following her nomination by 50 supply chain experts working across Africa.